Electric switch.



-C. I. KLEIN.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLwATIoN FILED APR.8.1912.

1,157,310. Patelwrd 001119,1915.'

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CHARLES J'. KLEIN, 0F MLWUKEE, lsCNsN, SSEG'NOR TG THE CUTLERJ-IAMMERMFG. CU., F MELWAUKEE, W1SCONSIN, CORPORTON 0F WISCONSIN.

ELECTRIC SWITGHL Lia'aeio.

Application led April 8, 1912.

-To all whom t may concern.

.5 State of Wisconsin, have invented new and will be l particularlyuseful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following is afull, clear, c oncise, and eXact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

, My invention relates to electric switches. It has among its objects'to provide an improved snap switch of a simple, durable and ellicientcharacter. l

A further object of my invention is to provide a switch of thischaracter which adapted to llusn switches.

Other objects and advantages of my improved construction willhereinafter appear.

I have illustrated my invention as applied to an electric flush switch.lt is not however limited to use with this type of switch or to theprecise construction herein shown.

Figure 1 shows a side elevation .of the switch in open circuit position.shows a side elevation of the switch in closed circuit position. Fig. 3shows a bottom plan view of the switch. Fig. l shows a sectional view online 4 4 of Fig. 3. F ig. 5 shows a detail View of a part of theoperating mechanism.

The switch'mechanism includes a plurality of push button operated racks1, a pinion 2 actuated thereby, movable contacts 3 adapted to engagestationary contacts 4- and operative connections between the pinion andthe movable contacts including a cam and resilient means for insuring asnap action.

The racks 1 reciprocate in a frame 5 and are provided with stops 6 tolimit their downward movement in the same. As one push-button is loweredthe other is raised through the meshing of the teeth of the racks withthe pinion. This pinion is mounted on a sleeve 7 which turns on atransverse shaft 8 journaled in depending arms 9 carried by the frame. ta point beyond its periphery this pinion carries a ball holder 1G seatedin the free ends of parallel members 11. rlhis ball holder ispreferab'ly cylindrical, as shown in Fig. 5, and houses a coiled springl2 which normally Specification of Letters Patent.

Fig. e

Patented 9ct. 19, 1915.

Serial No. 689,290.

tends to throw balls 13 in the ends of the ball holder to their outposition.

Cams 14 lare fixed to the shaft 8 on 0pposite 'sides of the pinion 2 insuch a position that their active surfaces are engaged by the balls 13.1n a preferred form the cams are dislcshaped and identical, beingprovided with inturned anges providing cam surfaces of the sameconformation, and of substantially equal length and slope on theopposite sides of peaks 15. In order that the ball holder when turned bythe movement of the pinion and push buttons may Vfreely pass the peaksof the cams the ball holder is preferably slotted on each end as at 15.T he limits of travel of the ball holder and racks are established byprojections 17 at the bottom of the slopes of the cams and the stops 6on the racks. The limit of travel of the cams is established byproviding each of the diskshaped cams with a cutaway portion 18, andslightly thickening the walls of the cams as at 19 at points adjacentthese cutaway portions so that when the cam is oscillated ,thisthickened portion will abut against the edge of the depending frame 9within which the shaft 8 is journaled.

The movable contacts 3 are liXed to the shaft 8 and insulated therefromas by suitable insulation 20. rlhese movable contacts move with the cams1-1 with a quick snap action to make. or break the circuit connectionsat the stationary contacts el.. ln a preferred forni the movablecontacts 3 are arcshaped, kas shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the stationarycontacts are-'resilient and arc-A shaped so that a `wiping action isproduced which tends to keep the contacts clean. The stationary contactsl are preferably mounted on suitable supports 21 depending from theframe and are provided with suitable terminal connections 22 in the formof binding posts; the contacts being insulated from the supports 21 bysuitable inF sulation 23.

Assuming the switch to be in the position shown in Fig. 1 wherein the-circuit is open and the left-hand push button is depressed, theoperation of the switch is as follows: When the rightdiand push-,buttonis de. pressed the pinion 2 is 'turned toward the right. The ball holder10 is carried with the pinion and the balls 13 engage the activesurfaces ofthe cams 14:, traveling up these compress the spring 12 untilthey reach the peaks ofthe cams. Until this point is reached nomovement. of the cams takes place. However, atthe moment the balls passthe crests of the cams the spring 12 is released, forcing the ballsoutward and throwing the cams 14 to the right in an Opposite direct-iontothe direction of movement of the ball holder. It is thus seen that theballs move rapidly down the opposite slope of the cam and the cams areimpelled in an opposite direction tothe direction of movement of theballs with a quick snap action. Since the movable .con-

tacts 3 move with the cams 14 the circuit is therefore made at thecontacts -1- with a quick snap action, the parts occupying the positionshown in Fig. 2. Obviously, when it is desired to break the circuitconnections the left-hand push-button is depressed and the cycle ofoperation just described is reversed. Due t'o the provision of thespaced or double cams the parts are balanced thus eliminating the strainupon the 4same. Further, the means for limiting the movement of theracks, the ball. holder and the cams eliminates undue strain upon theparts. By provision of the rack and pinion mechanism the depression ofone push button always acts positively to raise the other push butt'on,so thatthe switch mechanism is always in a position to be operated.

1While 'I have illustrated and described one specific form which myinvention may assume inpractice, it is to -be understood that certainfeatures thereof are susceptible to modification without departing fromthe i,spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

'What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States is tact associated with said cams.

2. In an electric switch, in combination, an operating rack, a pinionmeshing therewith, a cam mounted co-vaxially with said pinion, aresilient device carried by said' pinion and bearing against said cam toiinpart an accelerated. movement to the latter upon operation of saidpinion, and a contact member movable with said cam.

3. In an electric switch, in combination,

a pivoted member having a cam surface dis.

lspring-pressed device carried thereby and biased aga-inst said cam, andcontacts movable with said member.

4. In an electric switch, in combination,

two relatively movable and co-aXially pivoted' members having engagingparts, one part being yieldable and resiliently bearing against theother to alternately impede and impel movement of one member in onedirection during movement of the other member in the other direction,operating means for said last mentioned member, and a movable contactassociated with the other member. 5. In an electric flush switch, incombination, a pair of rectilinearly movable racks having push buttonextremities, a pinion meshing with said racks and interlocking the sameto move in opposite directions, a pair of cto-axially pivotcd membersdisposed on opposite sides of said pinion and having convex camsprojecting toward the same, and resilient means carried by said pinionand confined between said cams to receive and store energy duringinitial movement of said pinion and to thereafter expend such energy inimparting accelerated movement to said pivoted members in avdirectionopposite to the movement of said pinion.

6. In an electric switch, a pinion, a plu- 7. In an electric switch, acontact operating mechanism comprising a spindle, a plurality of spacedcam members fixed to said spindle and having peaked active surfaces, aContact member movable with said cam members, a pinion loosely mountedon said spindle between said cam members, and resilient operativeconnections between said pinion and said'cam members for giving thelatter a quick snap action upon movement of said pinion.

In witness whereof, Inave hereunto subscribed my name in the presence oftwo witnesses.

CHARLES il. KLEIN.

Witnesses FRANK II. HUBBARD', H. L. LOCKNEL.

